The first El Clasico of 2016-17 will not be shown live on British TV
Polish Women’s Volleyball champions Chemik Police beat BKS Bielsko-Biała 3-1
Lewis Hamilton: Nico Rosberg says debate over rival's tactics is 'pointless'
The first El Clasico of 2016-17 will not be shown live on British TV
Polish Women’s Volleyball champions Chemik Police beat BKS Bielsko-Biała 3-1
Lewis Hamilton: Nico Rosberg says debate over rival's tactics is 'pointless'
The greatest athlete of the 21st century? That’s easy. It has to be Tom Brady, the quarterback of the greatest dynasty America’s favorite sport has ever seen, a seven-time Super Bowl champ and five-time Super Bowl MVP. Yep. Tom Brady.
Except. Except it has to be Lionel Messi, the best player in the world’s favorite sport, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as the footballer of the year. Yep, definitely Messi.
Except … no … LeBron James, right? Four-time NBA champ, four-time Finals MVP, four-time regular-season MVP, 20-time All-NBA, most points scored in NBA history. No athlete has dominated the public conversation like LeBron has. He has to be No. 1.
Except, what about Serena Williams? Winner of 23 Grand Slam titles, the Serena Slam (holding all four major titles at the same time) and four Olympic gold medals. And she got her final Grand Slam event win while pregnant, putting her career on hold while she was at her most dominant.
Except, if you are going to pick a tennis player, what about Roger Federer? He transformed an entire sport with his artistry, his chess game on the court, his blazing forehand. He won 20 Grand Slam titles and became the most beloved tennis player of all time. Gotta be Fed.
Yeah, except Rafael Nadal won 22 Grand Slam titles and Novak Djokovic has won 24. You have to pick one of them over Federer.
Hmm. Maybe this isn’t so easy. We didn’t even mention the Olympians: Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles. Or Kobe. Gotta throw Kobe Bryant into the discussion. Or Lewis Hamilton. Or Peyton Manning. Or Floyd Mayweather. Or Tiger. Geez, almost forgot about Tiger Woods.
Yes, ranking the top 100 most accomplished athletes since 2000 wasn’t quite so easy after all — but it sure was fun. Twenty-five years ago, the ESPN SportsCentury project ranked the top 100 North American athletes of the 20th century. Michael Jordan came in first, followed by Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown and Wayne Gretzky. (Ruth should have been No. 1, but hey, I’m a baseball writer). We also ranked a horse: Secretariat came in at No. 35.
With so many transcendent athletes over the past 25 years, we thought it was time to do another ranking. I promise you there are no horses this time (sorry, American Pharoah). In considering the best athletes of the 21st century, however, we have expanded our choices beyond North America. ESPN editions from around the globe contributed to the nominations and voting process, as well as the individual sport list rankings that will follow.
Voters were instructed to consider only an athlete’s performance since 2000. So, for Barry Bonds: He won seven MVP awards, but only four of those came after 2000, as did only 317 of his 762 home runs. Or Ken Griffey Jr.: He played until 2010, but all of his best seasons came in the 1990s. Tiger won 13 of his 15 majors from 2000 on, so he’s in good shape. Other athletes, such as Patrick Mahomes or Nikola Jokic or Shohei Ohtani, obviously have more greatness ahead of them, so we’ll see how high their accomplishments so far get them on the list.
In the end, we received more than 70,000 votes from ESPN contributors to create our top 100. We will reveal 25 athletes every day this week until we reach our No. 1 athlete of the 21st century.
Let the arguments begin. — David Schoenfield, ESPN senior writer
Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, Basketball Hall of Famer, two-time MVP, eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, five-time assists leader.
Before words like “efficiency” and “pace” became as common part of the NBA parlance as “slam dunk” and “pick-and-roll,” there was a diminutive guard from Canada who, as a contemporary of Bryant and O’Neal in the late 1990s through early 2000s, ended up with as many regular-season MVPs as the two of them combined. Under the revolutionary tutelage of coach Mike D’Antoni with the Phoenix Suns, Nash won the award in 2005 and 2006 as the point guard on the heralded “7 Seconds or Less” teams that made it to three Western Conference finals in six years. While Nash never won a ring, he maximized his talents as a 6-foot-3 point guard, shooting 50/40/90 in four seasons and leading the league in assists five times. — Dave McMenamin
Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: five-time Gold Glove winner, two-time Platinum Glove winner, four-time All-Star, 455 HR in career (fifth most since 2000); Hall of Famer.
The lore of Beltre has grown since his retirement following the 2018 season and placed him alongside Mike Schmidt and Brooks Robinson among the game’s best third basemen. No one at third played more games than Beltre, a testament to his willingness to grit through pain. He manned the position with grace and consistency, two tenets that apply to the rest of his game. Beltre’s counting stats never screamed superstar, he never won an MVP and his allergy to walks limited his ceiling. But that’s all ancillary to the truth of who Adrian Beltre was: the ultimate ballplayer’s ballplayer. — Jeff Passan
Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: two-time World Series champ, 2000 World Series MVP, Hall of Famer, 2,658 hits (fifth-most since 2000), 141 postseason hits (most since 2000), 12-time All-Star.
Few players have had as many iconic moments: The Jeffrey Maier home run last century, the flip, the dive, Mr. November, the home run for hit No. 3,000, the walk-off single in his final game. He did it all in the pressure cooker of New York, playing for the sport’s most fabled franchise. Jeter’s legend cannot be separated from the pinstripes he wore: Before he joined the Yankees, they hadn’t won a World Series in 15 years; with him, they won five. He has been retired 10 years now and we still hear Yankee Stadium PA announcer Bob Sheppard: “Now batting for the Yankees … No. 2 … Derek … Jeter.” — David Schoenfield
Key accomplishments: NHL 100 Greatest, Stanley Cup champion (Conn Smythe), second all time with 853 goals, NHL-record 312 power-play goals, nine-time Richard Trophy, three-time Hart Trophy and Lindsay Award, 2006 Calder Trophy, 2008 Art Ross Trophy.
There isn’t a player in the NHL who has commanded a slap shot like Ovechkin in his career. Even if Father Time has begun catching up in some areas, the pure power behind his signature shot remains. Ovechkin’s success scoring 853 goals (to date) has come in large part because of how he uses a big frame (6-foot-2) to add velocity and power behind a shot that can exceed 100 mph. When Ovechkin puts his weight behind a puck — particularly from his favorite right-circle spot — it’s a howitzer for any goalie to stop. No wonder so many have failed to keep Ovi from lighting the lamp. — Kristen Shilton
Key accomplishments: Ballon d’Or winner, six-time Champions League winner, four-time LaLiga winner, World Cup finalist, Croatia’s most-capped player, joint-most trophies won with Real Madrid
“I’d like to ask you to never retire.” As news conference questions go, it was unconventional, but the Italian journalist’s plea — after Modrić’s Croatia was eliminated from Euro 2024 — was met with applause, echoing the sentiment. Everybody loves Modrić. “As well as being a top player, one of the best in the world, he’s even more spectacular as a person,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. More than any other player, Modrić was fundamental in creating Madrid’s relentless winning culture over the last decade. There’s no one standout moment — bar, perhaps, leading underdogs Croatia to a World Cup final in 2018 — but rather year after year of consistent excellence. — Alex Kirkland
Key accomplishments: Eight-time Liga F champion, eight-time Copa de la Reina winner, three-time Champions League winner, Champions League Player of the Season winner, World Cup winner, two-time Ballon d’Or winner, two-time The Best FIFA Women’s Player winner
Putellas’ career has been a battle on and off the pitch. On the pitch, she has transformed Spanish soccer, playing a part in Barça winning three Champions Leagues in four years and Spain becoming world champions. Off the pitch, she led the fight against the Spanish Football Federation for improved working conditions. She has become an icon in Barcelona, where her image has filled huge advertising boards in the city centre, and she is known as La Reina. “She is the captain and the queen of Barcelona for a reason,” teammate Lucy Bronze said after Putellas’ goal in the 2024 Champions League final. “She showed today why she is a back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner.” — Sam Marsden
Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer, six-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All Pro, HOF All-2010s Team, single-season receiving yards record.
Known as Megatron, Johnson was at the peak of his powers in 2012. That’s when he set an NFL single-season record with 1,964 receiving yards, breaking Jerry Rice‘s record of 1,848 that had stood since 1985. “It was an unbelievable thing to play with a guy like that. I think from day one, I knew that I was throwing to a Hall of Famer as long as he stayed healthy,” Matthew Stafford, Johnson’s quarterback during the receiver’s last seven seasons with the Detroit Lions, told ESPN in 2021. “He was a special player and a great person, a great teammate.” At 6-foot-5 and 237 pounds, Johnson possessed a 42½-inch vertical leap that allowed him to outjump defenders in video game fashion. — Eric Woodyard
Key accomplishments: Five-time Pro Bowler, five-time first-team All-Pro, three-time Defensive POY (tied for most all-time), HOF All-2010s Team, only player with 20-plus sacks in multiple seasons.
Watt won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards in his career, but his most dominant season came in 2014. He had 20.5 sacks, the second time he’d done that in his career, as well as 59 solo tackles, 29 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown. Watt had another defensive touchdown that season, and he had three offensive touchdowns. He won his second NFL Defensive Player of the Year award that season and finished second to quarterback Aaron Rodgers in MVP voting. Watt received 13 of 50 MVP votes that season, the most by a defender since Lawrence Taylor won the award in 1986 .– Sarah Barshop
Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: Hall of Famer, two-time World Series winner, 11-time All-Star, 523 saves and 29 postseason saves (both most since 2000).
Rivera was inevitability personified. Thriving in baseball’s most mercurial of roles — the ninth-inning reliever — he emerged from the bullpen to the pounding tones of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” night after night, year after year. Every time he did so, dread-filled Yankees opponents knew the bell was tolling — for them. Armed with one pitch — a cutter that righty hitters waved at and lefty hitters could not barrel up — Rivera became New York’s closer in 1997 and never put up anything but stellar seasons on his way to a 2.21 lifetime ERA and record 652 saves. For all of that, he was better than anyone in October, posting a 0.70 ERA and 42 saves over 96 playoff games. — Bradford Doolittle
Key accomplishments: Three-time WNBA champion, 2016 Finals MVP, two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time WNBA MVP, seven-time All-WNBA First Team, 2008 WNBA Rookie of the Year, 2020 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, two-time NCAA champion, two-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player, 2007 Wade Trophy winner.
Parker was known for being able to play any position, but at 6-foot-4 she was lethal as a post player with a diverse skill set. In college, Parker led Tennessee to coach Pat Summitt’s last two NCAA titles, in 2007 and 2008. The No. 1 WNBA draft pick by the Sparks in 2008, Parker’s first pro season was epic: She was MVP and Rookie of the Year (no other player has done that) and won Olympic gold. She spent 13 of her 16 WNBA seasons with the Sparks, but won WNBA titles with Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas. — Michael Voepel
Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer (2018), 12-time Pro Bowler, eight-time First Team All Pro, only player with 40 sacks and 30 interceptions since sacks became official in 1982.
Lewis redefined the middle linebacker position as a three-down defender who made plays from sideline to sideline. His ability to make teammates around him better established a storied tradition of defense in Baltimore. From 2000 to ’12, the Ravens’ defense ranked among the top three in the NFL in seven of the 10 seasons in which Lewis played at least six games. “Before we get to his play, Ray is the greatest leader in team sports history,” said Shannon Sharpe, a Hall of Fame tight end who won a Super Bowl with Lewis in 2000. “No one is even close.” — Jamison Hensley
Key accomplishments: Two-time MVP, 2018 Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star, two 40-HR seasons, 38-19 record as pitcher (3.01 career ERA), top-five Cy Young finish.
When ESPN runs the sequel to this exercise in 2050, Ohtani is the likeliest candidate from baseball to rate worthy of the top 10. His first seven years in MLB have been transcendent. What before him was taken as fact — that nobody can hit and pitch at a high enough level to warrant doing both — is now null. Ohtani arrived from Japan with a freighter of hype and only exceeded it, stretching the definition of what a baseball player can be. “Shohei,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said, “is arguably the most talented player who’s ever played this game.” — Jeff Passan
Key accomplishments: 11-time Olympic medalist, seven-time Olympic gold medalist, record 18-time World Championship medalist.
Five Olympics. Eleven medals. Greatest U.S. runner in Olympic history. But a closer look at Felix’s seven Olympic gold medals reveals another side to her success. In a sport defined by individual success, she might also be the greatest teammate in history. Felix won six of her seven Olympic gold medals as part of relays: two in the 4×100 meters and four in the 4×400. Her only individual gold came at the 2012 London Games in the 200 meters after taking silver in the previous two Olympics. That Felix experienced so much of her success while supporting her teammates comes as no surprise.
In the years since she retired from the sport, she has been an outspoken advocate for Black women’s maternal health care and pay equity and protections for women athletes after childbirth. — Alyssa Roenigk
Key accomplishments: Two-time World Cup winner, two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time NCAA Division I champion, three-time ESPYS winner, U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer.
Hamm is perhaps the first global superstar to emerge out of women’s soccer, and she was a reluctant one at that. But on the field, in contrast, she played with the confidence and killer instinct you’d expect from one of the world’s greatest goal scorers. She had a knack for exceptional ball control and precision in her shots. That’s why she still is the No. 2 goals leader for the USWNT, with 158 international goals. — Caitlin Murray
Key accomplishments: World Cup winner, seven-time Ligue 1 winner, four-time French Cup winner.
Currently the best soccer player in the world, Mbappé has followed the path of an absolute prodigy of the game. He made his professional debut at 16, scored his first goal at 17, played for France at 18 and won the World Cup at 19! His move from PSG to Real Madrid this summer will take him to new heights and will strengthen even more his status as the heir of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In 2018, he took the world by storm and became the second teenager in history alongside Pelé to score in a World Cup final. In 2022, he made more World Cup history with his hat trick in the World Cup final loss against Argentina. “He is just a phenomenon. He is such a generational talent. You just don’t see many players like him. He is only 25, but his career is already amazing,” Thierry Henry said about his compatriot. — Julien Laurens
Key accomplishments: UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion, youngest fighter to win a UFC championship, most wins in UFC light heavyweight history (20), most wins in UFC title fights (15), tied for most successful title defenses in UFC history (11), longest unbeaten streak in UFC history (19), UFC Hall of Famer.
There’s a reason UFC president Dana White calls Jones the greatest mixed martial artist to ever live. In a sport where the margin between victory and defeat is razor thin, Jones has managed to go 16 years without being defeated by an opponent (his only “loss” came via controversial DQ to Matt Hamill in 2009).
After becoming the youngest fighter to win a UFC championship in 2011, Jones went dominant on a litany of Hall of Fame caliber fighters for the next four years, with impressive wins over the likes of Daniel Cormier, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Vitor Belfort and Rashad Evans. Not only did he beat them, but he did so by playing to his opponent’s strengths and then running roughshod over them. The résumé is undeniable, and the accolades are still piling up. — Andreas Hale.
Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, 2017-18 MVP, 10-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, three-time scoring leader, two-time assists leader, 2011-12 Sixth Man of the Year.
Harden will go down as one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, but The Beard and his step-back were nearly unstoppable from 2017 to 2020. He started his scoring spree with an MVP season in 2017-18, averaging 30.4 points, 8.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds. And he was even better the following season, averaging 36.1 points in 2018-19 — the eighth-highest average in NBA history. Only Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and Michael Jordan have averaged more points in a single season. He then averaged 34.3 points in 2019-20 to win his third consecutive scoring title. His scoring overshadows his other elite skill as a passer. Harden is the only player in NBA history to win three scoring titles and two assist titles. — Ohm Youngmisuk
Key accomplishments: Six major victories, became oldest major champion all-time at 2021 PGA Championship (first to win major after turning 50).
While history continues to define Mickelson’s legacy after he recruited golfers to the Saudi Arabian-funded LIV Golf League, there’s no denying he was once among the most popular players in the world. The golfer known as Lefty broke an 0-for-46 drought in majors when he captured the 2004 Masters. He mesmerized fans with his incredible short game and won them over with a shy grin and thumbs-up gestures. He became the sport’s oldest major champion at age 50 when he won the 2021 PGA Championship — and was a pariah in his sport less than a year later. — Mark Schlabach
Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary Team, Basketball Hall of Famer, 2011 NBA champion, eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-Defense, five-time All-NBA selection, four-time assists leader.
If not for Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan and the Lakers and Spurs dynasties of the early 2000’s, Kidd might’ve had another championship and a MVP on his illustrious résumé. During his first two seasons in New Jersey, Kidd was at the peak of a career that saw him finish as one of the game’s most elite passers and versatile triple-double threats. Kidd made teammates better everywhere he went, which was never more evident than during his first season in New Jersey in 2001-02, when he turned the Nets around from 26 wins the season before to 52 wins, leading to the franchise’s first Finals appearance.
Kidd, though, finished second in MVP voting to Duncan before being swept in the Finals by O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. The following season, Kidd got the Nets back to the Finals only to lose in six games to Duncan and the Spurs. He would finally get a championship ring playing alongside Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas in 2011. — Ohm Youngmisuk
Key accomplishments: World Cup winner, two-time European Championship winner, four-time Champions League winner, nine-time LaLiga winner, Ballon d’Or runner-up.
On July 11, 2010, Iniesta changed Spanish football forever. In the 116th minute of the World Cup final in Johannesburg, South Africa — the game, tied at 0-0, had gone to extra time — Iniesta collected a pass from Cesc Fabregas inside the penalty box, and coolly fired the bouncing ball low past Netherlands goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. Cue euphoria. Spain won the game 1-0, lifted the World Cup for the first time, and Iniesta instantly became the most popular man in the country. An elegant, skilful playmaker, he was also a key member of one of the best club sides of the modern era, Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. — Alex Kirkland
Key accomplishments: 62-8-2 (39 KOs) from 1995-2021; boxing’s only eight-division world champion.
Pacquiao was unknown when he first fought in the U.S in 2001, but he became a record eight-division world champion. The Filipino won his first title at flyweight (112 pounds) in 1998 and by 2010 conquered his eighth weight division with a junior middleweight (154 pounds) title. His all-attack, buzz saw style, with punches thrown from all angles, overwhelmed ring greats such as Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto.
His fight against Floyd Mayweather took five years to finally happen, and while it didn’t deliver the entertainment boxing fans were expecting, it generated more than $600 million in total revenue. Pacquiao also had a memorable feud with Juan Manuel Marquez, winning the first three fights and losing the fourth by KO. Pacquiao recovered from that defeat in 2012 to win six more welterweight title fights by 2019. — Nick Parkinson
Key accomplishments: Three-time Olympic gold medalist in halfpipe (2006, 2010, 2018), 15-time X Games medalist.
White stood at the top of the halfpipe at the 2018 Olympics and prepared to take his third and final run. He was in second place behind two-time silver medalist Ayumu Hirano, who had just landed back-to-back 1440s. White knew he needed to land the combo to best Hirano, but four months earlier, he’d crashed attempting to learn a cab double cork 1440 and suffered horrific injuries that required 62 stitches in his face and landed him in intensive care.
White hadn’t attempted the trick since, and he’d never landed back-to-back 14s. But in a move that embodied White’s competitive nature and the spirit of action sports, he went for the combo, rode away clean and won his third Olympic gold in the event. “Before my last run, I was like, ‘OK, I can live with second,'” White said that night. “But I realized at that moment, I didn’t have to.” — Alyssa Roenigk
Key accomplishments: 2018 MVP, two-time World Series winner (2018 with the Boston Red Sox, 2020 with the Los Angeles Dodgers), seven-time All-Star, six-time Gold Glove, six-time Silver Slugger, won batting title in 2018.
It was a hot, sweltering day early in spring training. The Red Sox were coming off a 2018 World Series title and the training staff had players running a cone drill. Most took it slow and leisurely. One did not. Maybe that helps explain why Betts is perhaps the perfect ballplayer — a remarkable hitter for average and power, a right fielder who can execute the impossible throw (ask Tony Kemp), an athlete who can move to shortstop mid-career. A Harvard analysis from 2021 named Betts the best all-around player in MLB history: Yes, Betts is good at everything. — David Schoenfield
Key accomplishments: Two-time WNBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, three-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time WNBA MVP, two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, seven-time All-WNBA First Team, Basketball Hall of Famer.
Leslie was a high school phenom in Inglewood, California, who played collegiately at USC and professionally for the Los Angeles Sparks. But she made a global impact on the game, winning four Olympic gold medals (three since 2000) and was the national team’s mainstay in the post her entire USA Basketball career. Leslie led the Sparks to the 2001 and 2002 WNBA titles and the 2003 Finals. Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes and Lauren Jackson are the WNBA’s only three-time MVPs. She is the modern model for her position; fittingly, the Hall of Fame/WBCA honor for women’s college centers was named the Lisa Leslie Award in 2018. — Michael Voepel
Key accomplishments: World Cup winner, two-time European Championship winner, two-time Champions League winner, eight-time LaLiga winner.
Xavi had so many career highs that it’s impossible to pick just one. You might choose Barcelona’s famous 6-2 win at rivals Real Madrid, Xavi playing a part in four of the goals. Or his performance in the 2009 Champions League final, supplying the pass for Lionel Messi’s headed opening goal. You could pick Barcelona’s dominant 3-1 win over Manchester United in 2011. For a game that summed up an era, you’d highlight Spain’s 4-0 demolition of Italy at Euro 2012, the apotheosis of their tiki-taka short-passing style, which Xavi personified. But let’s choose an entire season: Xavi’s imperial 2008-09, when the midfielder — arguably the game’s best ever passer — registered a staggering 20 assists in 35 LaLiga matches. — Alex Kirkland
2:09
ESPN’s Top 100 Athletes: Nos. 100-76
Check out some of the big names from 100-76 in ESPN’s Top 100 athletes of the 21st century, including Aaron Rodgers, Sheryl Swoopes and Bryce Harper.
Key accomplishments: UFC Hall of Famer, UFC welterweight and middleweight champion, nine UFC welterweight title defenses.
Arguably no fighter in UFC history bridged the gap better from the sport’s “older days” to its modern form. Particularly from 2006 to 2013, St-Pierre represented everything mixed martial arts was looking for. He was essentially perfect in those years, winning 14 of 15 bouts, including 12 title fights. At one point, he won 33 consecutive rounds. He was solely responsible for an explosion of fan interest in Canada and was one of the promotion’s biggest stars globally. His style was ahead of its time, known for blending a variety of skills seamlessly together. He is also remembered as one of the most outspoken critics of performance-enhancing drugs during his era. — Brett Okamoto
Key accomplishments: Eight-time Olympic medalist, three-time Olympic gold medalist, record five 100-meter world titles, oldest sprinter (35 in 2022) to win world title.
One day after Usain Bolt’s win in the 100 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Fraser-Pryce became the first woman from the Caribbean to win Olympic gold in the event. Four years later, she defended her title in the 100 (as did Bolt), further cementing Jamaica’s reputation as a sprinting powerhouse. Only 5 feet tall and typically sporting rainbow locks, the “Pocket Rocket” has medaled in track and field’s fastest race in the past four Games. In Paris, her fifth and final Olympics, Fraser-Pryce will line up once more with the goal of reclaiming her title as the fastest woman alive. — Alyssa Roenigk
Key accomplishments: 55-8-2 record (32 KOs) from 1988 to 2016, oldest ever boxing world champion at age 49, 20 middleweight title defenses, two-division world champion
Hopkins’ otherworldly longevity saw him fittingly call himself “The Alien” late in a 28-year professional career. He made a record 20 world middleweight title defenses (1996-2005) and stopped Oscar De La Hoya with a body shot to become undisputed champion in 2004. The Philadelphia native’s ring IQ and exceptional conditioning allowed him to win world titles well into his 40s. In 2011, Hopkins outpointed Jean Pascal for the light heavyweight title to become the oldest boxing world champion at 46 years old. Two years later, Hopkins won back a light heavyweight title, and in 2014, at age 49, he defeated light heavyweight champion Beibut Shumenov. — Nick Parkinson
Key accomplishments: Two-time MVP (2015 and 2021), 2012 NL Rookie of the Year, seven-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger, 2022 NLCS MVP, 2018 HR Derby champion at Nationals Park
He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16 with the headline “Baseball’s Chosen One” and has somehow managed to live up to the hype, including some of the best postseason numbers of all time. He even helped make baseball fun again — from his all-out style of play to his green Phillie Phanatic cleats. Rarely has there been a more perfect match between ballplayer and city than Harper and Philadelphia. “He brings you into his game with his talent and grit. That resonates with the fan base,” said former Phillies great Chase Utley. — David Schoenfield
Key accomplishments: Three-time Grand Slam singles champion, finished in top 10 for nine consecutive years (2008-16), two-time Olympic gold medalist in singles.
Once a part of the sport’s Big Four, Murray was essentially removed from the conversation as Federer, Nadal and Djokovic emerged in a league of their own. But even while his tally of three major championships pales in comparison to those of his top peers, there was perhaps no victory more memorable than Murray’s first title at Wimbledon in 2013. A year after coming devastatingly close to winning his home Slam, a determined Murray held off Djokovic in three convincing sets to win his maiden major title. Never one to be able to hide his emotions, Murray openly sobbed on the court after the victory, proving just how much it meant to him. The BBC called the achievement “the Holy Grail” for British sport. — D’Arcy Maine
Key accomplishments: Four-time WNBA champion, three-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time WNBA MVP, three-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, five-time All-WNBA First Team, Basketball Hall of Famer.
Swoopes, a key part of the Houston Comets’ dynasty, won the last of her four WNBA titles in 2000 and was the league’s MVP in 2000, 2002 and 2005. Known for three-level scoring, she was also one of the best disrupters of passing lanes in women’s hoops history, which helped lead to her being honored as the WNBA’s best defensive player in 2000, 2002 and 2003. Two of her three Olympic golds came in 2000 and 2004, and she played in the WNBA until age 40. — Michael Voepel
Key accomplishments: Seven-time Olympic medalist, three-time Olympic gold medalist, six-time individual all-around world champion.
Over an eight-year period from 2009 to 2016, Uchimura dominated men’s gymnastics, going undefeated in all-around competition, winning back-to-back Olympic titles and leading the Japanese team to gold at the Rio Games. He retired from the sport in 2022 with a reputation for pairing extreme difficulty with unmatched consistency and flawless execution and is widely considered to be the GOAT of men’s gymnastics.
In one of his most memorable all-around performances, Uchimura averaged higher than a 9.0 execution score on every apparatus to take the all-around title at the 2011 world championships in Tokyo, which were held seven months after an earthquake and tsunami devastated northeast Japan. — Alyssa Roenigk
Key accomplishments: NBA 75th Anniversary team, 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-Defense, 2013 All-Star Game MVP, 2005-06 Rookie of the Year, six-time steals leader, five-time assists leader.
Paul has run thousands of pick-and-rolls to perfection and dished the ball out for nearly 12,000 assists, but his greatest accomplishment might have been transforming the LA Clippers from annual punching bags to perennial playoff contenders while orchestrating the unforgettable Lob City teams. Before Paul’s arrival in Los Angeles, the franchise had made the postseason just seven times in its history.
Paul’s Clippers made the playoffs six consecutive times as he delivered some of the most scintillating alley-oops in NBA history to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Clippers fans won’t forget Paul’s Game 7-winning running bank shot that capped off a 27-point performance against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round in 2015. — Ohm Youngmisuk
Key accomplishments: Two-time WNBA champion, 2010 Finals MVP, three-time Olympic silver and one-time bronze medalist, three-time WNBA MVP, 2007 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, seven-time All-WNBA first team, two-time WNBA All-Defensive first team, Basketball Hall of Famer.
Jackson is the best women’s basketball player from Australia, and one of the best from anywhere. Drafted No. 1 by the Seattle Storm at age 19 in 2001, she is one of three players to be a three-time WNBA MVP. She led the Storm to the 2004 and 2010 league titles, and her 2007 and 2006 seasons are the top two in player efficiency rating in WNBA history. Jackson was known for her powerful inside presence offensively and defensively. Her WNBA career ended after the 2012 season because of injury issues, but she later resumed her career in Australia and has made her fifth Olympic team this year at age 43. — Michael Voepel
Key accomplishments: Two-time Finals MVP, two-time NBA champion, six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Not even an LA Clippers tenure marred by injuries can diminish a legacy that only a handful of players in history can match or top. Leonard is one of 12 players to ever win two NBA Finals MVP trophies. None of them, however, led a Canadian team to the country’s first NBA championship. In leading Toronto to the title in 2019, Leonard cemented himself as one of the game’s most clutch players when healthy in the playoffs. He delivered one of the most legendary buzzer-beaters in playoff history when his twisting corner jumper softly bounced on the rim four times and in to eliminate Philadelphia in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals that season.
Even during his five-year Clippers tenure, Leonard has shown signs of dominance when healthy. He just has to finish a postseason healthy again, something he hasn’t done since the 2020 bubble. — Ohm Youngmisuk
Key accomplishments: Seven-time major singles champ, five-time Wimbledon champ, 270 major match wins (fifth most by a woman in the Open era), a record 89 career major appearances in singles.
The elder Williams sister burst onto the tennis scene as an enthusiastic and joyful teenager, and likely would have won many more titles if not for the arrival of Serena. While Williams’ results have been remarkable, and she has the most major titles among active women on tour, she has been equally influential off the court as a champion for gender equality in tennis and beyond.
While advocating for equal pay at Wimbledon, Williams asked tournament officials at a meeting a simple question: “Would you want your daughter or your sister or your mother or your wife or a loved one to be a woman paid less?'” Wimbledon started offering equal prize money for men and women in 2007. Williams called the achievement “the best moment of my career” in 2023. — D’Arcy Maine
Key accomplishments: Two-time FIFA World Cup winner, two-time Ballon d’Or winner, two-time Copa América winner, three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, Golden Ball winner 1998 men’s World Cup, Golden Boot winner 2002 men’s World Cup.
The original Ronaldo was probably the fastest, most powerful striker running with the ball in the history of the game, capable of variations at pace and able to slow down, keep his head still and shoot at goal with cool precision. All of these virtues were best seen in the 20th century — but the 21st came up with the best storyline. Twice his knee collapsed beneath him and he was left howling in gruesome pain. Many thought the second time was the end of his career.
In the buildup to the 2002 World Cup, Inter Milan, his Italian club, could not get him fit. Brazil took charge, and he took the tournament by storm, carrying a side that nearly failed to qualify all the way to a memorable triumph. It is one of the great comeback stories in the history of sport. — Tim Vickery
Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: Hall of Famer, two-time Cy Young winner (one of seven players to win Cy Young in both American and National leagues), eight-time All-Star, two no-hitters.
Halladay was the product of a bygone era in which a pitcher endeavored to finish what he started. Never gifted with overwhelming velocity, Halladay killed with paper cuts. He walked hitters at an almost identical rate to Greg Maddux and logged 220-plus-inning seasons like they were nothing. His right arm got the glory, but it was Halladay’s brain — his innate sense of how to pitch to every hitter — that won him 203 games. When he died in a plane crash in 2017, a profound sadness spread through the sport. The great pitching artisan was gone, never to be replicated. — Jeff Passan
Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: Eight major wins (most during span); earned 54 of her 72 career LPGA Tour victories, competed in PGA Tour event in 2003.
It’s not only that the Swedish-born golfer won 97 times around the world, captured 10 major championships and is the only woman to card a 59 in a professional tournament. Or that Sorenstam won 11 times in 2002 — the most on the LPGA Tour in nearly 40 years — and became the first woman to play in a PGA event in more than a half-century when she competed in the Bank of America Colonial Tournament in 2003. It’s that when Sorenstam retired from full-time competitive play at age 38 in 2008, she still had some of her best golf in front of her. During her Hall of Fame career, Sorenstam set scoring records for 72- and 54-hole tournaments. — Mark Schlabach
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ESPN’s Top 100 Athletes: Annika Sörenstam
Check out the athletic feats of Annika Sörenstam, one of the greatest golfers in history and No. 89 on ESPN’s list of the top 100 athletes of the past 25 years.
Key accomplishments: Two-time WNBA champion, 2023 Finals MVP, 2020 Olympic gold medalist, two-time WNBA MVP, two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, 2018 WNBA Rookie of the Year, three-time All-WNBA first team, two-time WNBA All-Defensive first team, 2017 NCAA champion and Final Four Most Outstanding Player, 2018 Wade Trophy winner.
Wilson helped lead her hometown South Carolina Gamecocks to their first Final Four in 2015 and first NCAA title in 2017. The No. 1 pick in 2018, she was drafted by the newly relocated Las Vegas Aces and has been a perfect fit there. She recently became the franchise’s leading career scorer and will participate in her second Olympics. She is favored to win a third WNBA MVP award and is on track to have the best player efficiency rating in league history. She turns 28 in August but already has a statue outside her college arena. — Michael Voepel
Key accomplishments: Four-time NFL MVP, 10-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro, HOF All-2010s team, Super Bowl XLV MVP, 475 pass TDs (Packers’ career leader).
Of all the superlatives and milestones that can be used to explain Rodgers’ greatness, here’s one that often gets overlooked. He’s the NFL’s career leader in touchdown-to-interception ratio (475 TDs, 105 INTS). In that way, he was the anti-Brett Favre, yet he carried on Favre’s remarkable run of success in Green Bay before getting traded to the Jets. Packers coach Matt LaFleur perhaps described Rodgers’ impact best when he said near the end of Rodgers’ run with the Packers: “A lot of people have been rewarded, quite frankly, because of his ability to go out there and play.” — Rob Demovsky
Key accomplishments: Since Jan. 1, 2000: Hall of Famer, 2000 Cy Young Winner, four-time All-Star, three-time ERA title, 2004 World Series winner, 2000 and 2002 strikeout leader.
Before Martinez and his 2004 Boston teammates ended the franchise’s epic World Series title drought, every Red Sox star had to field endless questions about the “Curse of the Bambino.” One of Martinez’s answers summed up how a short, skinny righty could become one of the most dominant hurlers ever: “I don’t believe in damn curses. Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him. Maybe I’ll drill him in the a–.” From 1997 to 2003, the height of one of baseball’s most explosive offensive eras, Martinez was as good as any pitcher has ever been, going 118-36 with a 2.20 ERA, 213 ERA+ and over 250 strikeouts per season and winning three Cy Young Awards. — Bradford Doolittle
Key accomplishments: 122 weeks spent as world No. 1 golfer, 26 PGA Tour victories (including four major wins), a Masters victory shy of completing career Grand Slam.
After McIlroy won his first two major championships, the 2011 U.S. Open and 2012 PGA Championship, by eight strokes and then added two more majors in a three-week span in 2014, The Guardian of London declared that it was “the dawning of a new era.” There’s no question McIlroy has been one of the most consistent and popular golfers of his generation. He has won 40 times, including 26 times on the PGA Tour. He is a three-time PGA Tour Player of the Year and a five-time winner of the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai. However, McIlroy’s nearly 10-year drought in the four majors since capturing the 2014 PGA Championship leaves him a step below legends such as Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and others. Unless, of course, McIlroy still has a few more victories coming. — Mark Schlabach
Key accomplishments: FIFA World Cup winner, Ballon d’Or winner, Copa América winner, two-time FIFA World Player of the Year, two-time LaLiga winner.
If longevity were not a factor in defining the greatest of all time, then Ronaldinho would certainly be a candidate for his feats in his first three years with Barcelona. Between 2003 and 2006, there was no better show in soccer. There have been few, if any, more talented players in the history of the global game, and all too briefly Ronaldinho captivated with his childlike glee at his own achievements, reminding so many of why they fell in love with the sport in the first place. A disappointing 2006 World Cup was a turning point, and he appeared to grow weary of the sacrifices needed to stay at the top level. But those three years were unforgettable. — Tim Vickery
Key accomplishments: 511 career goals, scored at least one Champions League goal with six teams, 12 league titles with five European clubs, named to UEFA’s team of the year four times, Sweden’s leading career scorer, represented Sweden at six major tournaments.
“I can’t help but laugh at how perfect I am.” There has never existed an athlete who was as good as Zlatan Ibrahimović said he was, but the 6-foot-5 striker did as well as anyone could — and for as long as anyone could — at approaching that level. He was the purest scorer this side of Cristiano Ronaldo; he put the ball in the net at least once in four different decades, and he kept improving into his 30s. He scored at least 30 goals in all competitions six times between 2011 and 2019, peaking with an incredible 50-goal campaign with PSG in 2015-16. He was the personification of artistry and brute force at the same time. — Bill Connelly
Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer (2023), seven-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro, HOF All-2010s team.
Revis took man-to-man coverage to a new level in 2009 when the Jets’ coaching staff made the unconventional decision to put him on the opponents’ top receiver with no safety help. He was on his own island, so to speak, spawning the “Revis Island” moniker. The result was one of the best cornerback seasons in history. Revis held Andre Johnson, Randy Moss (twice) and Terrell Owens (twice) — all Hall of Famers — under 35 receiving yards. He did the same to Torry Holt, Steve Smith Sr., Reggie Wayne and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. He finished with six interceptions and a staggering 31 passes defended, earning the first of four first-team All-Pro selections. — Rich Cimini
Key accomplishments: ODI World Cup champion, T20 World Cup champion, two-time T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament, 2023 ODI World Cup Player of the Tournament, two-time ICC Cricketer of the Year, most centuries in ODI history (50), second-highest scorer in T20Is, third-highest scorer in ODIs, India’s most successful Test captain.
Kohli won the World Cup early in his career, but he was at risk of fading away into mediocrity in the early 2010s. A fierce fitness-driven approach — the kind that was uncommon in cricket then — coupled with unrelenting drive catapulted him from “talent” to titan. The fire within translates onto the field. The Indian batter is the ultimate competitor and has won games on willpower alone. The intensity of his passion sparks fear in the opposition and bedlam in the stands. Kohli wasn’t born to be the best; he just willed himself to be. — Shubi Arun
Key accomplishments: Five-time Art Ross Trophy winner, three-time Hart Trophy winner, seven 100-point seasons in first nine NHL seasons, 2024 Conn Smythe winner.
It could be daunting to be touted as The Next One behind Edmonton Oilers legend Wayne Gretzky. McDavid isn’t like the rest, though. Edmonton’s captain has embraced that spotlight as Gretzky’s heir apparent. It was fitting when McDavid broke a record Gretzky set in 1987-88 with his 32nd assist of the 2024 postseason during Edmonton’s run to a Stanley Cup Final. McDavid had long been an exceptional playmaker in his own right, but the way he carried the Oilers back from a 3-0 series deficit in the Final to force a decisive Game 7 was spectacular. And it rightly earned McDavid a Conn Smythe Trophy in the losing effort. — Kristen Shilton
Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer (2019), nine-time Pro Bowler, five-time first-team All-Pro, HOF All-2000s team, 2004 Defensive Player of the Year.
Reed was the ultimate defensive game changer of his generation. In 2004, he set an NFL record by returning an interception 106 yards for a touchdown against the Browns. Four years later, he broke his own record with a 107-yarder against the Eagles. Reed is the only player in NFL history to score touchdowns off a punt return, blocked punt, interception and fumble recovery.
“You see the safety’s out in the middle of the field and have a wide-open throw on the right. The next thing you know he’s intercepting it,” former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “Where did he come from? It’s impossible. That’s what made it such a challenge. He made the impossible possible.” — Jamison Hensley
Key accomplishments: Hall of Famer (2021), nine-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All-Pro, HOF All-2000s team, 2009 Defensive Player of the Year.
Woodson’s career was a three-act play. In Oakland, as a Heisman Trophy-winning No. 4 pick, he was a hard-partying, hard-playing Hall of Fame talent. In Green Bay, he became a Hall of Famer. And with his return to the Raiders, he became a legend, making the switch from wild youngster at cornerback to sage vet at free safety. And if he lost a step, it was one precious few others ever had. “It was a beautiful transition,” Woodson said, “if you will.” And his first NFL coach, Jon Gruden, most certainly would. The slower-paced lifestyle of Green Bay helped Woodson, well, slow down and center himself. “And he met and married the right woman and had kids,” Gruden said. — Paul Gutierrez
Experts in individual sports were asked to vote to rank the top athletes in their sport since Jan. 1, 2000 (no accomplishments before this date were to be considered). Those votes pared down pools in each sport to lists of 10 to 25 athletes each, which constituted the overall candidate pool for the top athletes of the 21st century so far. Each voter was presented two randomly selected names and asked to pick which one has had the better career in the 21st century. Across repeated, randomized head-to-head matchups, more than 70,000 votes were cast at this stage, and using an Elo rating system, the list was pared down from 262 to 100. That list was then evaluated by a panel of experts for any inconsistencies or oversights, resulting in the top 100 ranking seen here.
